Lifeline
by Kate417
Summary: Greg Parker is hanging by a thread. Team One is in shock. The whole city is a mess. Co-written with UniqueWriter200. Our idea of what could have happened following Greg disarming the stadium bomb in Keep the Peace part 2.
1. Chapter 1

Eddie looked down at the man in his arms. The man he had gone through so many things with, the man that had helped him become who he was. That same man was bleeding to death in his arms and there was nothing he could do but to wait for the medics to get there. "Hang in there buddy," he repeated for the hundredth time. Ed Lane was usually not a very emotional man but this time, while his friend was in such a bad state, tears were coming out of his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. He wanted to look strong, remain composed for Greg but this day had been so filled with many emotions that he couldn't control himself anymore.

* * *

Sam had raced across the platform jumping down the steps a few at a time, his grip on the rail acting as leverage as he raced down the stairs yelling for the medics to hurry - even though he was a way up he could still be loud and be heard over the noisy stadium. On his earpiece he could hear Eddie talking but no Greg, he tried not to think the worst as the adrenaline kicked in. Greg had been a rock for each and every one of them and had stuck up for them through everything, not only that, he was their mentor friend and father figure. The mere thought that Greg could die sent a dagger through him but the Master Sergeant fought down the growing emotions within him as he continued to pound his way down the stairs, it was up to him to keep going, Greg wouldn't want him to just stand there.

* * *

Greg breathed shallowly fighting to stay conscious. As he felt Eddie's arms around him he tried to will himself to respond to Eddie's words, he wanted to comfort him and let him know it was okay but he couldn't. It was like he was losing his grip, everything was beginning to fade out around him and he was weakening more and more. He managed to mumble a few words but it came out in shallow rasps and he coughed as the blood began to fill his mouth again.

* * *

Spike hit the brake pedal hard and pulled to a screeching halt outside the stadium. Jumping out, he didn't bother to shut the door as he sprinted for the entrance not caring that people were trying to stop him and he wasted no time racing up the stairs. He saw Sam some levels up coming down towards him. His feet felt like they were made of lead and he felt like he was moving too slow, Greg meant more to him than anything and he couldn't bear the thought of him being hurt. Those precious moments each team member had when they were disarming each bomb felt unreal. Greg had managed to disarm the last one. He had been a hero already in Spike's eyes but right now he was even more a hero as the civilians on the ground had no idea just how close they came.

Well they were already victims coming in from other blasts - they probably knew how close they had come - but they had their lives in Greg's hand a minute earlier and half of them were completely oblivious of that fact. The Sergeant had gone above and beyond and Spike was so proud of him as well as of the rest of his team.

* * *

Upon hearing what happened on the other side of the earpiece, Jules went completely motionless, concentrating on the voices, trying to hear anything coming out of Greg's mouth simply to indicate he was alright. But the urge in Eddie's voice calling for medics told her he wasn't. When she managed to get her motion senses back, she quickly moved over to one of the ambulances right outside the stadium, glad to recognize Steve.

"Steve!" she called out as she limped her way towards him. He looked her up and down and it was as if he stared at her bandaged leg. She couldn't say it didn't hurt, especially whenever she was walking on it, but there were more important matters to settle for now.

"Steve, we have an officer down up there," she urged him as she reached his side and took balance on the ambulance, trying as much as possible to keep the weight off her bad leg. "It's Greg," she continued. The panic in her tone suggested there was no time to waste.

Steve didn't need to be told twice. He quickly went for the back of the ambulance, grabbing his partner's arm on the way and gathered a few things they would need.

Jules exchanged a look with Leah who gave her a nod, silently letting her know she had the ground under control and that she could go. When the two medics darted inside the stadium, Jules didn't hesitate to follow them. She could feel thumping in her leg but she let it go, instead concentrated on getting it moving faster so she could follow them up. "Boss you hang in there," she said for Greg's sake, hoping he could hear her. They quickly reached the stairs and she realized going up quickly was going to be harder than she had first thought with her leg wrapped up that way.

* * *

Ed could see Greg was still conscious but he also knew he wouldn't hold for long anymore, being a fighter or not, he'd lost a lot of blood. He wished he could have been there sooner to shoot the bastard before he got to Greg. He knew evacuating the building had been a priority, especially with a bomb threat but if only he'd been there to back up his Sergeant...

* * *

"Dad?!" Dean whimpered, tears streaming down his face as he stared at Winnie. Beside him his girlfriend squeezed his hand. The day had been chaotic, one minute he was out shopping with her and Clark and the next minute the whole city was plunged into terror. His father's voice echoed in his mind, the voice on every radio, television and speaker in the city asking for calm - that very voice was now in grave danger, his father whom he had only just reconnected with him was now silent.

Winnie's tears were flowing down her cheeks uncontrollably, having Dean next to her yelling for his dad didn't help making it better. She could understand why the young man was in such distress, she was feeling exactly the same. Being a dispatcher was not an easy task. You got to hear everything that was going on with a team out there risking their lives for others while being completely powerless. Dean have had a few tastes of it in the past few years but today was different. Today, the terror that rose through the entire city was making this job unbearable, especially after losing two of their own and nearly losing many others. And now, Team One could lose their Sergeant, too.

Dean reached over for Winnie's hand and tried not to cry any more than he already had. It was overwhelming him the emotions he was feeling and he suddenly realised just how much risk his dad took every day on the job - and it was horrifying. The realisation that he could experience the exact same thing if he became an SRU officer hit him like a ten ton truck.

Winnie felt something grab her hand and she looked up at Dean, squeezing it herself to show her support. She gave him a quick nod, Greg was a fighter, she hoped he would pull through this.

Dean looked to his girlfriend then back to Winnie. "Can a squad car come take me to hospital?" he asked. It was stupid question with the city in gridlock but he didn't know how else to get there and he was technically next of kin.

"Of course," Winnie managed to respond and she called in a squad car then looked up at him. "Go, they'll be waiting for you in the parking lot," she told him.

Dean nodded and ran out. His girlfriend hesitated, she didn't want to go with him, it wasn't her place and her parents would be worried sick. Until it was clear to leave she'd be better off staying. Dean didn't look back, his mind was focused on his father as he threw open the door of the squad car, slid in and slammed the door.

* * *

Sam saw Jules, Steve and the second medic racing in his direction and he let them pass before racing up behind them. Spike was already ahead of them having slammed past Sam and it took all his willpower to let the medics go first.

When Sam reached them, Jules stopped. Her leg was killing her and she knew there was nothing else she could do for Greg anyway. She held herself on the railings with one hand while the other went to her face, covering her mouth and nose, trying to stop the sobbing. Greg had been there through all of her years at the SRU. He was more than just a mentor to her, he was a father figure, the kind of father she wished she could have had growing up. Maybe then she wouldn't have been such a screw up teenager.

Moments later, Steve and his partner were kneeling by Greg's side. Ed moved back slowly to give them space to work and stood up whilst his friend was being looked at.

Sam glanced behind him and seeing his wife wasn't doing so good, he reluctantly tore his eyes away from Greg and headed over to Jules. Once he reached her, he pulled her to him.

Jules let herself be taken by Sam and together they climbed the last few steps that led them to Greg then stood there, Sam holding her and watching the medics work. Looking at the Sarge, seeing him like this unsure whether he would make it or not, Jules found herself leaning her head on Sam's chest and held him tight as she cried, powerless.

Sam couldn't bare to look away. His mind flashed back to Iraq and the sheer horror of it. He thought of his friend, the one he shot, and remembered the scene when medics descended to attend to him. It tore at him - the fear, the worry, the grief - he gritted his teeth.

The second medic quickly unfastened the Sergeant's kevlar vest to give him some breathing space - as the vest came away blood began to drip and pool around Greg's limp body from the blood soaked black shirt which he proceeded to cut through with his scissors. Then the medic brought two fingers on his neck to check his pulse. "Pulse is weak," he said, matter-of-factly.

In fact, too matter-of-factly for Ed's liking. He took a breath and observed as they worked, finding himself restless. It was as if they were not going fast enough or not putting their hearts into it. But then again, how many of these lives they've tried to save today? How many have perished? He took a deep breath, counted and cleared his mind as he kept on watching them work, he was there if they needed an extra pair of hands.

Steve applied some pressure on his wound as he attached the heart monitor pads to Greg's exposed chest. It seemed like a bullet had penetrated his side right above his vest. There was a chance he had a punctured lung, especially since he was coughing out blood. Meanwhile, his partner rummaged in his bag and located an occlusive dressage which he placed over the wound to keep it airtight. However, there wasn't much time to waste, the sooner they got him to the hospital, the better chances they had in saving him.

Suddenly the alarm on the monitor Steve had set up began to blare loudly and he checked his pulse again. "He's crashing, we need to intubate!" Steve moved around to Greg's head grabbing a bag as he moved. He crouched down at Greg's head and pushed his hand under his neck to tip his head up, opening up the airways. His partner ripped open the bag to reveal an intubation kit.

Eddie took a deep breath under Steve's sudden distress. He brought his hand to his mouth and rubbed up and down a few times before moving it up to his forehead, a sob escaping his lips.

"Gimme a tube," he ordered quickly as he grabbed the laryngoscope in one hand, placed it into Greg's mouth and carefully worked to find the cricoid cartilage. He then grabbed the tube from his partner and quickly slid it in, putting a little air in the balloon at the end of the tube to secure it and pulled out the guide wire. Tossing down the laryngoscope he placed the mouthpiece over the tube, then grabbed the pump and connected it to the mouthpiece.

"We have to move!" It took only a second before they had the stretcher up in the air, Steve in the lead and his partner in the back - his partner was holding the handle of the stretcher with one hand whilst pumping the pump with the other.

It was then that Steve realised just how complicated this would be, normally they would have had one or two other medics with them as per protocol but with the city plunged into crisis, the entire emergency service was stretched thin with every medical crew forced to go alone or two by two in vehicles or on foot and do what they could.

In this instant, Steve saw an opportunity to use the two officers before them - he glanced at them both.

Spike was rooted, so many thoughts and feelings reeling through him he had no idea what to think or feel. He was terrified. This man was like a father to him, he felt exactly like he did when his own father died but his relationship with Greg was different, he couldn't explain it. He wanted to go to Eddie and stand with him. He tore his eyes from Greg as the medics lifted the stretcher and caught the look Steve gave him. Spike nodded as he stepped up alongside and took one side of the stretcher looking to Eddie for help.

Quickly, Ed took the side Spike wasn't covering and helped the two medics getting down the insane amount of stairs that led back to the street in front of the stadium. The staircases were tight, especially at the very top and they needed to hurry.

Jules' hand squeezed Sam's arm tightly, unable to speak. As the medics took Greg out, she exchanged a look with Steve but the expression on his face didn't help her feel any better. She knew that look, it didn't agur anything positive.

Sam watched silently until the stretcher was too far below for them to see, then carefully he half-held half-lifted Jules, allowing her to lean on her good leg but providing all the support she would need. She brought her arm over Sam's shoulder and let him help her down. The stairs and platforms were long winded and difficult but they needed to get to solid ground.

Below them, the stadium was in chaos as marshalls directed people back inside and others organised medical personnel and officers around. The tents for the decontamination process were still in full flow as there were still people needing to be cleared.

The team couldn't help but glance at the scene before them as they passed by. Nearby, an officer who had spoken with Greg moments before he had gone up to disarm the bomb watched in silence, seemingly sending a silent message of support.

As they finally all reached the ambulance, the two medics transferred the SRU officer onto a rolling gurney.

Leah's attention was drawn from her current task and over to members of her team coming out of the stadium. She stretched her neck slightly, trying to see from afar how the Sergeant was holding up.

Spike stepped aside and as Greg continued forward, Spike touched the man's hand. "Hang in there boss," he said in Italian. He was somehow holding it together and he had to, Greg's earlier words to him whirled around his mind and he willed himself to stay strong and keep going.

"Alright we need to go!" Steve hurried once they had put the gurney in the vehicle. He moved over to the back of the ambulance while the other went for the wheel. His eyes moved on Eddie who was standing there looking at Greg, again his hand brushing his nose and mouth as he tried to compose himself. "Come on in," Steve told him. Eddie exchanged a look with Spike.

Spike saw the look Eddie gave him and nodded. "I'll take care of Jules." They would be heading there anyway, they needed to get checked out, especially Sam and Jules.

Eddie nodded in turn and then jumped in the back of the ambulance to ride along.

Sam and Jules were only reaching the street when the ambulance doors closed on Greg. They helplessly watched the vehicle leave and Jules took a shaking breath, knowing his life was now in their capable hands.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of the sirens ripped into the air. Silence after the chaos moments earlier suddenly broken, reminding each and every one of them what had just occurred and what was now at stake.

Sam allowed himself a moment to let his emotions show as the ambulance went out of their sight. Jules could feel a shift in Sam's posture and she looked over at him, he was about just as emotional as she was. She tightened her grip on him in support.

Spike spotted them and he approached and simply nodded at Sam, not pointing out that the blonde was showing his emotions. He took Jules' other side supporting her as they walked forward.

Jules took a look at Spike too. They were all in a mess. The same emotional mess. Normally, she wouldn't have let them carry her, pride would have taken over and she would have brushed them off but she didn't have the mental strength to actually do it anymore.

Leah had focused on working on crowd control, she had to do what she could somehow and even though she would have preferred to have gone inside, someone needed to be outside working the ground and with several of their officers down, she was doing all she could.

Backup from another city had arrived and Leah was just finishing briefing them when she spotted her three teammates moving over to one of the SUVs, she followed closely. "Let me drive," she announced, seeing they were all distraught.

Sam and Spike nodded. They couldn't care less about anything else except their boss, they had both been worn down emotionally, physically and mentally and it was showing. Now that the threat was gone, it was finally hitting each and every one of them. As Sam felt the material of the seat press against him as he sat down, the full force of the pain in his back from the earlier blast hit him and he winced. The adrenaline had taken away the pain until that moment, but it was now kicking in.

As Jules hauled herself up in the SUV and slid in beside him, he wrapped his arms around her in comfort, one hand going to her stomach. As she felt Sam's hand on her belly, Jules looked up to him. The adrenaline had slowed down, the pain in her leg hit her like a ton of bricks and she found herself worried about the small piece of life inside her. She hadn't suffered any blows in that particular area, the baby should be safe. She brought a hand over Sam's and forced a smile on her lips.

Spike slid in beside Jules like a protective brother would do in a bad situation. Sure it was a little packed in the back seeing as they were all still in full gear, minus their weapons, but right now it didn't matter, they needed to be close to each other, to be able to comfort each other.

Sam met Jules' eyes and gave her a soft nod before looking over at Spike who was now clearly breaking up. His free hand which had been around Jules' shoulders reached over and touched the man's, gently giving it a reassuring squeeze. Spike glanced to Sam and saw the look in the man's eyes then nodded, also squeezing Jules' hand. Silently, they were making sure to be there for each other.

* * *

Greg had been strapped on his side, giving the non deflated lung more room and Steve was working to keep his balance as he worked

"How bad do you think it is?" Ed asked, holding himself on the small bench of the ambulance as they took a rough turn.

Steve hesitated before he spoke. He had worked around them and hung around Jules enough to know this team was close knitted. "He has a punctured lung," he said as he plugged him on an IV.

Ed wasn't an expert in medical training but he knew this could go wrong if not treated quickly.

"It seems like one of his lungs collapsed and the other is working hard to keep up," Steve continued.

"Meaning?" Ed pressed. He didn't care for all of this medical talk crap. He just wanted to know if Greg was going to be fine.

Steve looked up into the Team Leader's blue eyes. Unlike his usual strong self, now they showed great concern. "If he's taken care of quickly, he could recover without a problem, that is if his other lung keeps up until then." He pursed his lips and Ed frowned slightly, knowing he had left something unsaid.

"But...?" Ed pressed, wanting to know the entire deal.

"He's lost a lot of blood and if his lung isn't reinflated, the working lung could drown him."

Ed gritted his teeth. "Anything we can do right now to keep this from happening?"

The paramedic shook his head softly. "I mean, I could do a chest tube but with the ambulance motion, there's a greater chance I'll make it worse," he spoke honestly. He wished he could put on an act and say he could but not right now. All the chaos around him and all the devastation, he couldn't afford to be dishonest. He'd been pushed to the limit today, racing around attending to everyone. He was meant to be off shift hours ago but his instincts kicked in and he stayed on along with his partner, there was no way he could stay home in the midst of all the terror. People needed help and he had a job to do. Just like the officers of the SRU, they put their lives on the line day in and day out, no amount of bravado could sugar coat the truth of the situation.

He wasn't going to lie and pretend or be fake in front of a man who would see right through it. The medic shook his head softly at the thought before looking back up at Ed. "I'll let the doctors know that's what he needs as soon as we reach the hospital."

* * *

As they passed through the city, they saw some of the devastation, the buildings that they had saved moments earlier and people picking up the pieces and helping each other just like Greg had asked them to. Stand together.

Evading all of the destruction Faber had caused almost seemed selfish at the moment but they'd done more than their share and it was time to get them checked out. All of them.

Jules looked from the front window of the SUV back up at Sam, the man had nearly been blown up, he might have a concussion and not even know about it. She checked his dusted face, examined him carefully.

Sam felt eyes upon him and he dragged his away from the scenes before him and looked to Jules. He knew what she was thinking. "I will get checked out." he promised. The ghost of a smile crossed Jules' lips when Sam read her mind. "But you should get checked first," he said as the hospital came into view.

As the car pulled over, Spike was first out. He grabbed an abandoned wheelchair and brought it to the car.

Jules slid towards Spike's side as he was out before Sam was. She saw the wheelchair being rolled over and she opened her mouth to protest.

"No arguing. Chair," Spike ordered sternly.

Jules closed her mouth back. She gave him the best eye roll she could muster and stepped out carefully and hopped on one leg to position herself on the chair. Sam took over from Spike and let him run ahead to scout for a doctor or a nurse, the four of them needed to be checked over to an extent, mostly Sam and Jules anyway.

Leah made sure they were all out and she left to find a spot to park the SUV.

* * *

Dean was just getting out of the squad car when he spotted the ambulance arrive and craned his neck to see who it was. Ed let the medics and the gurney out of the ambulance before he followed. Spotting the familiar black uniform, Dean sprinted forward and at the sight of his dad. He fought against the medics as they tried to keep him back. "He's my father!" he argued. "Dad!" he yelled, wanting Greg to open his eyes or at least give him a sign of life, anything. "Dad it's me!"

Steve simply nudged the young man aside and continued forward "Just follow!" he called out behind him. There was no time to waste.

As they ran through the hospital, Eddie remained close, Dean right behind, easily keeping up with the speed that the group were running at. Steve could be heard reeling off important information to a surgeon who had met them at the ambulance bay entrance and was running alongside, checking his vitals as they moved.

The hospital was in chaos, every corridor, cubicle and space was filled with wounded civilians and personnel - many on beds, seated on chairs or in wheelchairs and some were just wandering around looking for someone they knew.

Doctors and nurses rushed around trying to help as many as they could. As one of the major central hospitals, they had taken the full force of the flow of injured people and had to send many to other hospitals around. They had even set up a makeshift "walk in" type tent right outside for those with minor cuts and abrasions and were being manned by medical students, retired medical personnel and regular civilians who had first aid training.

Once they reached the OR doors, the medics and the surgeons carried through. Ed stopped and held Dean with him. "Dean!" he said, trying to shake him up and get some sense into him. "He's gonna be fine. They'll take care of him," he said, holding the young man's shoulders.

Dean was in full blown panic mode trying to get in until Eddie grabbed him and shook him to his senses. He looked up into the blue eyes of the man before him. "I don't even know what to do," he said softly.

Eddie knew Greg the most, far more than himself and Marina combined. Greg probably would have listed him as his contact seeing as Eddie was as close to a brother as you could get. At this moment, Dean didn't want to be the one to make decisions. He had no idea how to react. "Will… Will you stay?" he asked softly and shakily.

Eddie kept looking at Dean until he felt him calm down a little bit. His eyes searched for the young man's, trying to read passed them. He knew he was panicked and he couldn't blame him. He had been in a similar situation earlier, except with his son. Clark. Ed straightened up and gave the nurse desk a quick glance. "Of course," he responded as his eyes moved back to Dean. "Come on," he said, holding his shoulder. "Let's go pay Clark a visit." He knew it would help them wait through Greg's surgeries and honestly, Ed was dying to see his son, to make sure he was alright.

In all the chaos Dean had forgotten his best friend. He nodded his head furiously, he wanted to see him badly and it was better than the agony of standing around waiting.


	3. Chapter 3

In the operation room, Steve watched from the corner, unable to move. All he wanted to do was to go home, he was tired - beyond exhausted and seeing Greg on the gurney served to make him realise just how much had happened - and that he needed to stop for a while and get his head cleared.

But the sight of the man on the gurney held him in place. Everything that had gone on today finally hit him and he wiped furiously at his eyes trying to hide his emotions. His hands shook as he pulled them away and he looked at them before clasping them into fists and staring at the doctors as they worked.

"We gotta go Steve," his partner urged. "We got to get back to the stadium." He turned to leave but Steve grabbed his arm and pointed at Greg, his eyes flashed as he looked right at him. "Do you know who that is?" he asked looking back at the SRU Sergeant. "That man is the reason we're still able to go back there! The very reason why our city is still standing!" the emotion was raw in his voice.

The partner gulped and looked over at the man on the operation table. Unlike Steve, he hadn't had much contact with the SRU team - he knew who they were but didn't know them personally. But today, he had listened to Greg's voice on the ambulance radio, the same man who had been talking down the entire city a few hours ago was now laying unconscious in a OR. "You stay," Steve's partner said softly. "I'll let dispatch know. We need more supplies anyway," he finished and exited.

Doctors and surgeons worked furiously on Greg trying to stem the bleeding and stabilize him. The lead doctor shouted orders for various medications and bloods, another called out for an X-ray machine and test results. The movement was fast. Everyone knew what they needed to do.

As they cut off the layers of uniform, Steve saw the extent of the damage to the man's body, bruises covered areas where he had landed after being thrown by bombs and the bullet wounds were bloody and raw.

Steve couldn't say he was used to this. He wasn't, you could never get used to this kind of thing. He swallowed hard, then a thought hit him - Greg would want him back out there and not standing here watching him. And no matter how tired he was, there were still people out there who needed them - the threat was over, the medic now needed to help get victims to safety. "Doc?" he called out over the voices in the room.

The surgeon looked up for a moment, met the medic's eyes and gave a simple nod. "He's in good hands. Go."

Steve nodded and quickly exited.

* * *

After they asked the lady at the desk for Clark's room number, Ed and Dean were told that he wasn't in an actual room and directed them over to his location. The hospital was crowded with victims of the bombs that had gone off, people were in a frenzy. Clark was on a gurney in the corridor. "Clark," Eddie said as he approached his son. "Hey buddy," he said with a smile as he reached his side.

Clark moved only his eyes as his neck was still stiff. He smiled when he saw his dad, and then wider when he recognized Dean. "Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey," Dean said forcing a smile and trying to wipe away the tears in his eyes as he patted his friend's shoulder. "Good to see you're okay," he said softly.

"How are you feeling?" Eddie asked his son.

"I'll be fine," he said.

Spike entered the hospital at that moment and spotted Eddie and the boys. "Ed!" he called, dodging people as he made his way to the tall unmissable SRU Constable. Behind him Sam was close, wheeling Jules in. They could both wait for attention, by the looks of it everyone else needed to be seen first before them, priority of life and all.

Ed looked to his side to see part of his team walking their way. He gave them a nod.

Clark looked at them all in turn, including Dean. Their reddened eyes and their long faces didn't mean everything went out well out there. He didn't fail to see the wheelchair either. "What happened out there?" he asked in their general direction. He had clearly missed the whole thing but had seen everyone coming in for treatment and clearly he had picked up that something had gone horribly wrong.

But now wasn't the time. "Later, Clark," Dean said softly before looking to Eddie and then over to the three other SRU officers. "Dad's in surgery," he told them.

They all looked over at him. Nothing they could do now but wait. Leah soon joined them and nodded back at Dean as he politely greeted her before standing next to Ed.

A doctor approached "Do you need anything?" he asked clearly wanting to clear the space around them. Jules was about to tell him everything was fine but Sam took the lead.

"We're with these two," Sam quickly responded motioning to the two boys, explaining their presence crowding the corridors. "My wife is pregnant and injured," he added, leaving out the fact that he was too.

Doctor nodded. "I'll get a nurse," he replied.

As the word "wife" came out of Sam's mouth, Jules squinted slightly. She would have to get used to that. The doctor left and she looked up at Sam with a disapproving look. She could wait to be checked out, there were so many people that needed current attention and she didn't want to pass in front of all of them simply because she was pregnant.

Sam looked down at Jules. He knew it didn't matter, in the chaos they wouldn't get seen for a while but the fact that he had pointed it out meant that they wouldn't get chucked out.

After a few moments, a little blonde haired blue eyed girl around four years old was wheeled past them on a bed, she was covered in blankets which hid the true extent of her injuries. Her little pale face peered out from under the blankets and as she saw the officers, she held out her hand. "Look!" she said loudly.

Sam looked across at her. "Hey kid," he said in confusion but soon noticed the girl was pointing at Jules, she seemed to recognise her.

The orderly pushing her paused in confusion. "Are you related to this girl?" he asked.

Just like all the others, Jules looked over at the little girl as she pointed at them. At her, more specifically. She studied the girl's face for a short moment, it didn't take long for her to recognize her as well. She'd been one of the children she rescued from the day care center. She shook her head for the orderly's sake. A smile crossed Jules features and she reached her hand out to put it on the girl's little body.

"Hey there," she said.

"Hi," the little girl responded, her big bright eyes looking straight at her.

Spike watched the girl for a moment, he hadn't been part of that particular rescue operation earlier but it was clear people were recognising them and no doubt this girl was one of the survivors. Such a young girl. It dawned on him just then they could find comfort in this little girl's appearance. He looked over at Jules and gave a soft smile.

"Are you okay?" Jules asked with concern, her attention now solely on the cute blonde girl.

She nodded in response. Jules felt her heart warming. That little girl had been through so much, she probably couldn't even understand the extent of what happened to her today.

Behind Jules, Sam managed to smile for the little girl. He too had finally recognised her, the bright blue eyes had peered up at him as he pulled each child through the hole and it was hard for him to forget them.

"What's your name?" Jules continued, feeling a strong connection to this girl.

"Sadie," she answered.

Somehow it fitted her so. So little, so fragile. "That's a very nice name. My name is Jules." The girl simply looked at her, unsure what to respond. "You're being very brave, Sadie."

Listening to the conversation between his wife and Sadie, Sam's heart swelled.

The girl was badly injured but she was there and she was smiling. Jules couldn't think of a better gift after the hard day they've had. At least, they had not worked for nothing, they'd saved lives. Many lives. What if she hadn't gone through the debris? What if she had held her position, accepting Sam's reluctance for her to get down there? Suddenly, her leg injury didn't hurt as much. At least it had not been futile.

Dean watched for a moment as all the officers seemed drawn towards the blonde girl, the scene tore at his heart. He didn't understand quite fully just how they felt but he did see this meant a lot to them. Beside him he could see Ed hadn't turned to look at the girl, his eyes were closed. Dean's position was blocking anyone's view of the man's bowed face, it looked like Eddie was simply looking at something.

But in reality, he was trying to compose himself. The young child's voice had torn through him like a dagger and his emotions were finally bubbling back up. No amount of breathing could calm it. Dean reached over as he'd seen his dad do so many times and gently touched Eddie's shoulder before removing it. The gesture was enough and the Team leader looked across at Dean - the kid was so much like his father and he barely knew it.

"These nice doctors will take care of you," Jules continued, eyeing the orderly. Then she leaned in a bit closer to the girl as if to tell her a secret. "And I'm sure they'll give you a reward for your courage," she added in a more hushed tone. She winked at her and Sadie grinned.

The orderly carried on wheeling her and the little girl's hand waved at them. The whole team's eyes remained on her until she was out of sight. As if it would help control the emotions welling up, Jules quickly grasped Sam's hand and held it tight. But they were all feeling the same way.

"Mr. Parker?" The surgeon who had met them at the ambulance approached with blood covered green scrubs. Dean's head shot up for a moment, recognizing the man looking at him.

All of their heads shot over to the doctor, the heart-warming feeling they just had suddenly left replaced with concern and worry.

"I'm his son, Dean," he said before looking to Eddie who quickly straightened running a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the emotions.

"Can we talk privately?" he asked not missing the looks on all their faces. He didn't push - he knew better.

Dean nodded. "Sure." He motioned to Ed. "Can he come? He knows my dad better than I do."

The doctor nodded and indicated the two to follow him to a quiet area away from most of the chaos.

Eddie looked back at the rest of his team as he followed the doctor, unwillingly leaving them out of of the loop. Once they were further away, Ed looked at the surgeon and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sergeant Parker is still in surgery and he's in a pretty bad way. I'm going to be honest, I need you to prepare for the worst. But we are doing everything we can." A beat and the doctor watched Dean's face fall. "He's holding on, he's fighting, that I can tell you. The next few hours are critical." A beat. "I'll let you know as soon as we get more news, okay?"

Eddie nodded. He wasn't sure if he had to take this positively or not. At least he was holding on for now. And if he'd managed to pull it through until now, he was going to pull through all the way.

Dean nodded numbly and watched the doctor walk away. He'd only just got his dad back and now he was going to lose him? Ed patted his back. "He'll be fine," he started. "He's a fighter."

As they move back to the rest of the group, they were all there waiting to hear the news. Their faces were worried, and he couldn't blame them. "He's fine for now. He's in a critical state but he's holding on," Ed announced and he was sure to have heard a few breaths of relief. At least for now.

Dean moved to Clark and stood where he could see him in his eyeline without moving his head. He grabbed his friend's arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Clark put his hand on Dean's and gave him a smile. "Your dad's gonna make it," he said, trying to be reassuring too. He gave a soft chuckle. "These guys are tough, all of them."

Dean nodded trying to look as convinced as possible. Clark smiled and shifted slightly. His legs hurt badly when he came in but he'd been given strong medication that allowed him not to feel the pain.

Sam pulled up an abandoned chair and pushed it towards Leah. She grabbed the chair from him and gave him a thankful nod but didn't use it. She was too restless to sit down.

Spike stepped aside to make a phone call. As it rang he considered what to say.

Winnie was now off-shift, Sydney had came in to take her spot and free her from her duties. She was a mess and she needed a break. She was gathering her things in the locker room at the SRU headquarters when her phone rang. She checked it and recognized the caller ID. "Spike?" she answered after the second ring.

"Yeah, are you okay?" he asked softly. He would call his mother later, she was in Italy and he wanted to have time to actually talk to her when it was quiet, not in a place where it was busy and chaotic.

Somehow, Winnie wasn't sure this call from him meant anything good. She took a breath and sat down. "I'm fine," she said without too much conviction. "How are you?" she asked with concern.

"I'm..." a beat and Spike hesitated. Part of him knew better than to say the oh so typical words, the other half wanted to cover up the painful emotions he felt. "I'm doing okay," he said quietly. He would share his real feelings later when the shock had died down.

"Good," Winnie responded. "How's the Sarge?" she asked, fearing Spike might be the bearer of bad news.

"They're taking good care of him. He's holding on so far," he said, trying to keep the emotions out of his voice.

"Good." She hesitated for a moment. "Spike, keep me informed, kay?" she asked and then went passed her own personal rule. "Call me," she said, letting her feelings for him show a little.

Spike swallowed the lump in his throat. "I will," he said softly before hanging up.

Back in the group, Sam winced as the pain in his back got more persistent. Jules didn't fail to see it and she looked back at him as she could from her position in that stupid chair as he stepped away. He spoke to a nurse in whispers and she handed him two tablets which he dry swallowed before heading back to his position beside his wife.

"I think you need to get checked out more than I do," she told him with concern.

Sam shook his head. "There are people who take priority," he said stubbornly.

She agreed completely but she also understood the concern he had for her just a few minutes before.


	4. Chapter 4

Kevin Wordsworth hadn't been oblivious to everything that had gone on. The second the first bomb had gone off, Wordy had hit the streets with his team helping where he could but his heart yearned to contact the SRU to see if they needed him. However, his shakes had gotten worse and there was no way he was going to go put them or civilians at risk, even if he was well medicated. But every fibre of his being knew that they were being stretched way beyond their limits, every thing they had learned and used would be put to the test today.

The news of the bombings had been awful but the actual sight of the devastation crushed him more - seeing the fear and terror in everyone's eyes as they sought safety and help from around them in sheer confusion. With every bomb that had gone off a chill went through him, being in the dark about what was going on was killing him - but he had to keep going and do everything he could.

He didn't miss Greg's plea for calm and marvelled at how composed he had been. When he heard the horrific news that his friend, former colleague and old mentor had been shot disarming the last bomb, nothing else mattered except to get to his team, to the ones he considered his brothers and sisters.

Hitting the road, Wordy had stopped several times to help people in the gridlocked city but his goal was to get to the hospital as fast as he could. Tears fell down his face as he drove, his mind drifted back to the times they had together and their ups and downs. The thought that Greg was hurt tore at him, he was more than just a father figure, he was someone who understood people, someone who gave you the time of day when no one else would. He was the one you would want in your ear in times of trouble and when he had needed Greg, the man had always been there for him.

He listened out on the police radio for news but none came and the traffic seemed endless. He ditched the car halfway, parking it safely, and hit the ground running thankful that he had kept up with most of his fitness training.

Finally he reached the hospital and slammed through the doors. Rounding the corner, he spotted the uniforms before he saw the faces of his friends. "Guys!" he called out as he surged towards them dodging everyone as he moved.

Even though they all shot their heads towards a known voice, Ed was the first to spot Wordy making his way to them through the packed crowd of the hospital. "Wordy," he said in a breath. He was glad to see his old friend, to know he was doing alright. In a natural way, Wordy grabbed Ed into a tight hug and the Team leader returned it. They've had their differences during his last moments at the SRU but Wordy had always been a close friend to him, someone he could rely on in any given situation. And he was glad to see today was no different.

In turn, Wordy went to all of the members of the Team, greeting them in a tight embrace. Of course, they had seen each other the same morning in a completely different situation but seeing them all safe - or at least most of them - he needed to show his affection more than ever.

Once he'd gone to everyone, he turned back to Eddie. A question burned on his lips, it had ever since he heard the news. "How's Greg?"

None of them could answer, they had no idea what to say. They looked between each other and Wordy took a deep breath. "He'll be fine, he's a fighter right?" he asked softly and Eddie nodded.

* * *

After a couple of hours, the doctor approached. "Dean?" he asked.

The team had been gathered around. Jules was half asleep in the chair, the energy finally gone, and Sam was seated on a stool and holding her hand. Nearby, Spike was leaning against the wall watching the scenes in front of him and Wordy was trying to avoid staring at anyone as he stood beside him. Eddie was perched on his son's bedside and Dean had been almost asleep, sitting on an empty bed beside Clark.

At the sound of his name, Dean jumped off and approached. "Is my dad ok?" he asked.

The whole team's attention moved over to the doctor. They had all been patiently waiting for news. However they remained in their spots. Only Eddie moved closer along with Dean.

The doctor nodded. "He's not completely out of the woods yet but he's been stabilised. We managed to save his leg and he'll be moved to recovery very soon."

Eddie closed his eyes for a moment and nodded in relief.

A beat as the doctor looked at them all in turn. "I guess you are his team?" he asked.

They all nodded without a single hesitation. This was more than a team, it was a family. And they all could say they were damn proud to be a part of it.

The doctor let out a small smile and cleared his throat. "We'll be moving Greg up to a room-"

"No," Dean cut him off. "Dad won't like that. I mean, he won't like taking rooms when there's people who need it more."

"Your dad's a good man, son," he said quietly, "but he's going to need to be monitored and checked upon regularly. We can't afford to leave him unattended. I'll send someone over to let you know which room he is in, you can go sit with him. And the rest of you too if you want," the doctor added, looking at them all again. He then patted Dean's arm. "I heard him on the TV earlier, he did a good job," a beat and he looked to Eddie and the rest of the team. "As all of you," he gave them a nod and left quickly.

"Thank you doctor," Eddie responded before he left and then moved back to his team. He gave a pat behind Sam and Spike's backs and looked at all of them in turn. "He's right. We've done a hell of a job today. I want you all to be proud of what we accomplished."

Still seated in the wheelchair, Jules only nodded. She remained silent, trying to fight the strong feelings she had. She felt Leah shift slightly next to her. She couldn't say she had ever seen the woman get emotional but today, all of their usual strong and fierce personalities had been put to the test and it was showing on them even though they were trying their best to hide it.

Sam and Spike could only give Eddie a nod, Sam gently squeezed his wife's shoulder as if knowing she needed it. Jules looked up at him and took a deep breath.

Spike glanced at Leah - out of all of them Leah was the outsider and was still slowly getting to know them. And the team hadn't meant to intentionally leave her out but he figured she needed someone and at the moment she didn't have anyone. He discreetly reached over and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze to let her know that he had thought of her.

Leah's attention went from Ed to her arm as she felt a hand around it. She looked up to see Spike staring at her. A small genuine smile appeared on her lips, she didn't have to force it. She gave the man a soft nod in a manner to thank him, putting her hand on his arm to return the gesture.

Wordy watched the doctor walk away, the relief not only showed in his body language but in his eyes - the normally quiet reserved and gentle giant was unable to control the tears that sprang up once more. It was only in front of his beloved team that he would allow such emotions to show. Inhaling and trying to calm the frayed emotions, he felt a hand grab his and looked down to see Jules holding onto him, having noticed the man's bubbling over emotions. Nodding briefly he offered her a small thankful smile before closing his eyes and lowering his head to compose himself.

A short while later a nurse came and led them towards Greg's room. Another nurse wheeled Clark after them, the young man having been cleared to sit in a wheelchair in a neck brace and told to be very careful with his legs.

The Sergeant was laying on a bed the blankets up to his shoulders hiding the bandages. His skin colour had come back. Wires protruded from under the blankets attached to the machines which stood beside the bed, one of them hissed rhythmically as it kept him breathing.

As soon as Dean saw his dad he went to his side, grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I'm here dad," he said softly. "We're all here." He frowned as he felt a piece of paper in in Greg's hand. He took it out without reading it and he placed it in the drawer of the bedside table next to him - he'd let his father read it when he woke up.

They all settled around his bed, trying to take as little space as possible. He wasn't alone in the room but he had just enough space to accommodate all of his visitors.

Eddie stood right behind Dean, looking down at Greg. "You're a hell of a fighter," he said, not sure if the Sergeant could hear or not.

Jules found herself crying again with all of the emotions. Sam wrapped his arms around her and held her, looking at Greg over her head. "He'll be okay," he whispered. She then wrapped her arms around Sam's and nodded, hoping he was right. Leah stood next to them and stared at their Sergeant with a soft smile.

Dean was simply silent his hand gripping his father's, Clark watched his friend for a moment unsure what to say then looked up at Eddie.

Wordy stood behind them all, leaving some space. Just being there was enough for him.

Spike stepped to where Greg's head was then leaning in, he whispered in Italian "Hang in there pa." He then looked over at Ed questioningly, wondering what to do next.

Ed saw Spike's look and glanced at his team. He made a quick head sign for them all to leave Dean with his father and give them some time alone. He started moving, initiating the motion as he pushed Clark out and they all left one by one.

Dean remained silent, barely noticing as the room emptied around him as his eyes fixed on Greg's, waiting.

As they got to the lobby which had quietened down some, a nurse approached. "Mr. and Mrs. Braddock? You both want to get checked out now?" she asked gently.

Jules looked up at the nurse and quickly swiped the tears from her cheeks. It took a moment for her to realize the 'Mrs. Braddock' part was meant for her. She exchanged a look with Sam who nodded and then back at the nurse. "Sure," she said with a soft nod. Truth was her leg was throbbing badly.

Ed gave them a nod of approval as they followed the nurse before taking out his phone. He owed Sophie a call to explain everything that had happened, and of course to let her know Clark was alright. He dialed and brought the phone to his ear.

"Ed?" Sophie answered after a while. Her cracked voice betrayed that she'd been crying.

"Soph, we're all fine. I'm with Clark," he said. He knew that's probably what she wanted to know the most.

He could hear a gasp on the other side and she sobbed again, this time with relief.

"We're at Toronto General," he continued.

Again, a few sobs were heard and seconds later, her response came. "We'll be right there," she said. She marked a pause. "I love you Ed, and tell Clark I love him too," she said, having the same request she did earlier that day.

Meanwhile, Spike made a quick round of phone calls. He gave Winnie the latest news on Greg's state as well as his own. He wanted to set up a meeting with her but somehow, he felt as if it would be inappropriate. All in due time.

His calls also included one to Marina. Dean needed someone to be with him and Marina was Greg's girlfriend. She would want to know what happened, and no matter what she would want to be with him.

As everyone was moving off to do their thing, Wordy turned in the direction they had come from and stared into the void for a moment. It seemed so long ago that he had last seen Greg but really it had been this very morning. The man had greeted him so warmly that his heart hurt thinking about it. Wordy remembered the times he'd covered Greg and been responsible for shielding him as he negotiated - he knew Eddie was probably beating himself up over not being able to protect him.

He quickly shook his head, trying to erase the negative thoughts he was having. Greg was a fighter, he had to pull through. Wordy looked over at the team and sighed. His eyes welled up again and he rubbed the tears away furiously.

* * *

___A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, they keep us going and they make us ecstatic!_

For all you shippers out there, look out for the upcoming chapter 5, you should be satisfied!

_Kate: I know I was ^^_

_Uniquewrit__er200: I know I was too! It had to be done!_

_Watch this space!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: The chapter below contains mushy lovey-dovey stuff. You have been warned. _

_But you know you want it._

* * *

Sam and Jules had been moved to a room to be checked over. Jules looked up and around her. The small space was cramped up with too many beds but what else was there to expect. The whole city was in crisis.

She closed her eyes and let out a small grunt when a nurse took her leg bandage off. It had ripped off some of her half-heeled skin in the process. The wound had become swollen, Jules hoped it had not gotten infected too.

Sam instinctively looked over at his wife from the other side of the room as he heard her. He had been stripped from the waist up and a huge black purple and blue bruise glared out nastily along his whole side, some of his chest and mostly on his back. The nurse was prodding his back and Sam winced at every touch. "Easy," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"You have some broken ribs there, Mr. Braddock," the nurse stated. She knew better than to ask what had happened, it was blatantly obvious. "How's the rest of your body?" she asked.

"Arms and legs are fine. Just my upper torso, ma'am," he replied simply. Sam watched Jules for a moment as if trying to find the energy to continue and not collapse.

"Have you been walking on it?" the nurse affairing with Jules asked her and the short brunette repressed a laugh. Walking, crawling, running, climbing stairs…

"Too much, I think," she said, grunting again when the nurse palpated around her wound. Jules' fingers dug in the fabric of the gurney she was sitting on. She looked away, Sam was being checked over on the other side of the room. She winced slightly at the sight of his large bruise.

"You'll probably need stitches."

Jules brought her attention back on the nurse and she nodded. "Alright," she said, knowing better than to argue at this point. She'd already gone against the advice to keep her weight off her leg for the day, now she had to let go and let them fix her.

The nurse looked up at her and smiled. Jules caught her look and forced her lips to curl up into a smile as well. "How far along are you?"

Instinctively, Jules' hand moved on her belly. "Three months," she said, her smile now more genuine at the thought of that growing baby inside of her.

"Congratulations."

The word however did not come from the nurse. She looked to her left to see Steve walking in her direction.

Sam's head shot up at the sight of Steve and he rose a brow, then winced sharply as the nurse prodded him again but kept his eyes on the paramedic.

Jules felt a slight tingle in her heart. She wished Steve would have learned of her pregnancy differently. Or not at all. "Thanks," she responded uneasily.

Steve stopped once he was right next to the gurney and gave the nurse a quick look.

The nurse looked from one to the other and then nodded slowly as if assessing the situation. "I'll go get what you need for the stitches," she announced, understanding they wanted some privacy, before leaving their side.

The nurse prodding Sam watched her colleague leave and followed. She was a nurse from another hospital and would need to know where they kept their stuff.

"How you holding up?" Steve asked Jules, oblivious of Sam's look on him.

She straightened up on the gurney, trying to move her leg as little as possible. She shot it a quick look and then her eyes went back to the paramedic. "I'll be fine," she said with a nod. "It's just…" she started and then looked over at Sam. She couldn't believe they'd gotten married the same morning. She'd gone from total happiness to anguish within 12 hours. "It's been a rough day," she finished and as he nodded in agreement, she let out a small laugh. "Well I guess you know that already," she added. The SRU had not been the only ones to have a rough day and she figured for the paramedics it had been equally as demanding.

'Yeah," he said, letting out a small laugh as well.

They grew silent for a moment, both of them thoughtful. Then Jules spoke again. "Thanks a lot for being there back at the stadium," she said. "I'm glad it was you who helped the Sarge."

Steve looked down at the ground as if he had forgotten for a moment and shifted his weight slightly before looking back up at her face. "Anytime, Jules." His heart panged as he remembered standing in the OR watching the doctors work on Greg after he had brought him in.

Jules saw the change in his expression and knew what he was thinking about, he had seen how badly injured Greg was and he couldn't just forget about it.

"You know anything yet?" Steve blurted out.

"He's stable. They managed to fix him up and save his leg." A break. "They're keeping him in a room, he's being closely monitored but for now it's positive."

The look of relief in Steve's eyes showed just how much the day had affected him. Again, they grew silent, this time smiling at each other. However unlike the first time, he was the one to break it. "I'm gonna go, it's still a bit of a mess out there," he said, jerking a thumb towards the exit.

"Kay," she simply said with a nod.

He studied her for a moment, as if taking in all of her one last time. "Be safe."

"You too."

He turned on his heels and exited. Jules watched him leave until he was out of sight and inhaled deeply before slowly letting it out through her mouth, as if letting go all of this uneasiness and guilt she was feeling.

Sam slowly stood from his side of the room and approached his wife before perching himself on the bed, careful not to nudge her bad leg. He watched her for a moment as if contemplating his words. "I guess I don't have to worry about competition then?" he asked, a small wry smirk on his lips.

Jules narrowed her eyes slightly and considered tapping him in the stomach but figured it was probably not a good plan. Instead, she transferred her weight on her left arm to free her right hand and flicked his earlobe. It came instinctively, just like it did a few years back when they had first started dating. She remembered doing the same thing when Sam came to work with blue paint on his ear. _Her_ blue paint.

Sam winced and gave her a look, in response she smiled playfully. Shaking his head, he looked at the door as the nurses returned and sighed before removing himself and returning to his own bed.

* * *

Spike didn't go back to HQ to change, nor did he bother to even check the log or sign out - nothing else mattered - all he wanted was to get home and try and get his head around the day's events.

As Spike entered his apartment and closed the door behind him, it was like shutting the door on the whole world. He leaned back against it and broke down, the tears streaming down his face as he sank to the floor and cried, letting it all out of his system. It felt like hours before he stopped and he exhaled breathing heavily he stared into the void ahead.

It had been an hour since leaving the hospital, Leah had dropped him at the apartment after dodging traffic and sitting in jams in silence. Neither of them had felt like participating in small talk, they knew it wouldn't make things better and discussing the days event would only bring memories they were not yet ready to face.

Home was a welcome sight though - it comforted Spike.

A moment and Spike looked down at himself, he was still in full gear and for once it felt really uncomfortable. Standing slowly he stripped off the many layers of gear, as he did so he began to realise just how much he needed a shower. Leaving the stuff in a heap on the floor he stepped over it and headed for the bathroom.

An hour later Spike was freshly showered and dressed as he sat on the couch with a bottle of water and stared at the window for a moment. He had learned that going straight to the beer after such a day may not always be the right choice.

His hand travelled to his pocket and he pulled out his cellphone, after a moment he tore his eyes away from the window and stared down at it.

* * *

It was getting late but Winnie couldn't find sleep. She was in her apartment, sitting on her couch and staring at the TV screen. Every single station showed images of the tragic day they'd just had. She stared silently, trying to figure out what she could have done differently to avoid having so many losses. And of course, she wasn't only referring to their own.

She could have called in the other teams earlier, or perhaps find some more information on the targeted buildings… She didn't even know what to think anymore. She wanted to fall asleep and forget all about it, wake up the next morning to see everything fixed. But it wouldn't be that easy. The next morning would be just as devastating, seeing the buildings torn down, people in a high state of emergency and too many dead that could not be brought back.

She brought her feet on the couch and pulled her knees to her, hugging her legs as she leaned her head back, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"Winnie?" The voice was low as Spike knocked on the door. Spike knew better than to have turned on the TV or the radio as it would drag him down more than he already was. He had suddenly made up his mind when he was back home. Getting to his feet, he had headed out and taken a taxi to Winnie's place. His car was still at the HQ and the taxis were up and running. Thankfully, Winnie lived further away from the devastation like he did.

Now he was standing at Winnie's door knocking, he knew what she was probably doing and he had to tell her what she meant to him.

The knock on her door made Winnie jump. She brought her hand over her heart as if to calm herself down before throwing her legs down and standing from the couch. She moved over to the door, a slight frown on her features as she looked through the viewer. She had not been hallucinating, it was indeed Spike she had heard. She unbolted the door and opened it on the man. She forced a smile on her lips. "Spike, hi."

"Hey," Spike straightened and studied her closely - having spent enough time as an SRU Officer and learning to read people he didn't fail to see the emotion in her eyes. "I just came to… see if you were okay." A beat. "And see if you needed some company," he added.

Winnie was speechless at first. She did need company, and she wasn't okay. In fact, having him there was pretty much what she needed at the moment but she wasn't sure to be willing to admit it. "I huh…" she started but couldn't find the words to continue, instead, she changed subjects. She opened the door a bit wider. "Do you want to come in?" she asked.

"Sure," Spike said stepping in and closing the door. Once inside and closer to Winnie, Spike placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to meet her eyes. "Winnie, I'm here for you okay?" he said softly - sure he was in a state but he cared more about others than himself.

Winnie felt tingles in her arms as Spike touched her shoulders, a sort of electric connection she couldn't exactly describe. One thing was for sure, she was glad he was here. Her eyes finally met his and nodding softly when he told her he was there for her, she brought her hands on his arms, as if to complete their connection. "How are you?" she asked with concern.

He would be an idiot if he said he was fine, he wasn't and there was no way he was going to say it. "I guess I'm just trying to get my head around it," he admitted. He looked around her apartment - he hadn't been there before and it interested him that he was finally inside. His eyes caught sight of the television and he was drawn in for a moment before forcing himself to look away but as he did, he caught sight of images of Greg being carried on the stretcher. He gulped and met Winnie's eyes instead. "You?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, Winnie hesitated. "Same," she simply said. A headline on the news brought her attention back to the TV and she quickly moved out of Spike's grip and over to the living room table, grabbing the remote control and aiming it at the screen to shut it off. It was not doing either of them any good to hear this over and over. Walking back to him, she hugged herself and rubbed her arms nervously.

Spike was relieved when she turned it off. He watched her walk back to him, then ignoring the rules, he pulled her to him and hugged her - both of them needed it after the heck of a day they'd just had.

His gesture was more than welcomed and she let herself being carried into his arms. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting the emotions overflow as tears welled up. She was well with him and she trusted him enough to let it all out, knowing he wouldn't judge her. She knew she was going against her own personal rule at the moment but she didn't care, she needed his comfort more than anything else.

Spike let her cry as tears rolled down his own face, he was lost in the hug and for a moment the pain of his emotions subsided.

Time seemed to have stopped during their long silent embrace. Winnie didn't know how long they had held each other but she knew it was the first step for them both to feel better.

Pulling back, he cupped her face in his hands and looked right into her eyes as he wiped away the tears gently. She looked up into his reddened eyes, realizing she wasn't the only one who had been crying. Again, the touch of his finger rubbing her cheeks gently felt like electricity on her skin.

"You did a good job out there you know that?" Spike said. "We couldn't have done it without you. Don't forget that."

Winnie forced a smile on her lips when he told her she'd done a good job. She brought her own hands to his chest when he cupped her face. "Spike, without you, the city would be in an even bigger mess. Do you realize how many people you saved?" she asked, returning the compliment, knowing that because of his skills with explosives, they had managed to disarm more than half of the bombs.

Spike shook his head, "I couldn't have done it without you, and the team," he said softly, choosing to be modest.

His feelings for her had been strong, the team already knew Spike had a crush on Winnie but he hadn't ever acted on them - until now - after the day they'd just had, they needed each other.

"I just..." he started. "I was out there today seeing all the devastation and I realised... " A beat and Spike sought out Winnie's eyes. "I can't deny my feelings for you. I can't ignore them and let things go unsaid." He let his gaze linger on her for a moment.

She couldn't deny the fact that she knew about Spike's feelings for her, he had exposed them to her already but she was still surprised when he actually spoke the words. She looked up at him, her eyes locked into his as she pondered her words. "I know what I said about my rule with co-workers," she started and marked a pause. She couldn't believe what she was actually going to tell him but they were too strong feelings to let them go. "But I also know rules are made to be broken." She took a deep breath. "Back there when you went to disarm the bombs, when all I could do was to hear what was going on, I was scared. I was so scared to lose you..."

Spike kept his eyes on Winnie and his heart panged as she spoke about how she felt, listening to everything. The one good thing about this was they both knew what the other might be feeling. Winnie wasn't just a dispatcher, she was one of them and like them she went through so much - even if she was sitting there unable to do anything, she still had to listen to everything. Instead of saying a word he pulled her closer to him again. Their proximity was overwhelming and before he knew it, he gently closed in the distance and placed a soft kiss on her lips, as if testing his boundaries.

Winnie stopped breathing when she felt his lips on hers, her heart beat went up a notch but it didn't take long before she returned the gesture. It was nowhere near a deep kiss but it was still full of passion, like they had both been longing it.

They pulled off and stared at each other for a moment. Their eyes were still full of emotion but at least now they knew they had each other. Spike pulled Winnie to him and she let herself into his embrace again, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, never wanting to let go.


	6. Epilogue

It had been a month since the devastation that had changed their lives forever, Sam had quickly been transferred to Team three in the wake of Donna's death and was adjusting to the new role. The team had been a bit sensitive at first but Sam was patient - they all had to come around to a lot of changes in the last few weeks and Sam couldn't fault them. As well as visiting Greg and team leading, Sam had been busy taking care of his wife and other duties that were expected of him.

He woke up to find Jules already out of bed - he had done a late shift the night before so he'd been allowed to start his day later. With the morning to himself he could take it slow and besides, he and Jules had a baby scan to attend.

Getting dressed, Sam headed downstairs in search for his wife.

Jules was sitting at the kitchen table, an untouched glass of orange juice in front of her which she was contemplating absent-mindedly while she ran a hand on her stomach, rubbing it softly. As she heard steps coming down the stairs, she looked back to see Sam coming her way, already dressed. "Hey," she said with a smile.

Sam approached and wrapping his arms around his wife's shoulders he gave her a kiss.

Jules smiled as he kissed her, it was always a welcomed gesture in the morning, especially since he had gotten home late the previous night and she had already been sleeping. She was thrilled for him to be the new Team three leader but she had to admit she missed the times when they had the same schedule.

"Hey, what are you doing up so early?" he asked resting his chin on her shoulder. "What's up?" he added noticing she had an untouched glass in front of her.

"Hm…" she muttered as she followed Sam's gaze to her glass still sitting on the table. "I couldn't sleep anymore," she responded. "I'm just thoughtful, I guess."

Sam stepped around and looked right at her studiously. In the time he had known her he had picked up a lot about her - a lot that he loved. "You wanna… talk about it?" he asked, sliding a chair closer to sit down next to her and wrapping his arms around her.

Ever since the bombings Sam had grown protective of her. Not that he wasn't already, which was why he was now better off on another team, else they would struggle to separate personal from work. He cared immensely for his wife and valued the time they did have together.

Fully taking in Sam's protective arms around her, she snuggled to him. It felt like the events from a month before had brought them even closer, if that was possible. Nearly losing each other on the very same day they got married was something that had made them reflect a lot on themselves, their relationship and their job. Jules had decided, against her own will, that she would go on an early maternity leave. While her baby still had another 5 months to go, she would stop working in the next, before it could get too dangerous for them both.

It felt weird, maybe she was growing up - or rather old. Being the only woman in her SRU team for so long until Leah came along, having grown up with four older brothers without a mother figure, she had always considered herself as having more of a male personality. And for the first time in her life, she fully embraced her feminine side, assuming the role of a wife and a mother, and of course everything that led to it. For the first time in her life, she felt fragile.

"It's stupid, really," she said in a small voice, taking a deep breath.

"Never stupid," Sam replied shaking his head. "You can tell me, Jules," he added gently, eager to help with whatever was preying on her mind. Greg and Ed had urged him to look out for her not only because she was his wife and colleague but because she was the mother of his child and family was important - he had to get the balance just right and make sure the pair of them met in the middle and worked together, not against each other.

Letting go of the long breath she had taken, Jules grabbed Sam's hand in hers. "I don't know how to be a mother, Sam. I mean, I mostly grew up without one, I have no idea how to do it. And with work and now your work…" she trailed off, shaking her head softly.

"You'll be fine Jules," Sam assured. "We'll make it work." A beat. "You're a natural with kids. They love you," he smiled knowingly.

Looking up at him, Jules smiled. Her mind flashed back to the kids she helped back at the daycare the day of the bombings, of that little girl they saw back at the hospital who had recognized her. An idea crossed her mind and she pinched her lips together. She hesitated, unsure whether it was too early to discuss it.

"Jules?" Sam asked seeing the change in her expression.

A soft laugh escaped her lips, she could never get anything past him. "I'm just thinking, we'll probably find out if it's a girl or a boy today, right?" she started.

"Yeah?" Sam asked regarding her. His mother hadn't stopped calling him, pestering him every time, making sure he was looking out for Jules and reminding him to tell her if it was a boy or girl and when they would find out.

Again, Jules hesitated and decided to throw him the question first. "Any ideas for names?" she said with a cheesy face. She felt like it was such a girly thing to say, so unlike her and yet, she couldn't help but be a little excited to be discussing it.

Sam smirked. "What? I thought we had settled on Samuel William Braddock Jr.?" he asked cheekily.

Jules gave him a frown and slapped him in the chest with the back of her hand. "You're so vain," she teased.

Wincing at Jules' slap, Sam pretended to be hurt then shook his head and chuckled returning to seriousness. "I don't mind, as long as he or she is a happy healthy baby I don't care. You choose the name." In truth he did know what he wanted but he kept it silent - he wasn't sure whether Jules would agree or not.

He had managed to avoid the question gracefully and throw it back to her. "I was hoping you would help with a boy's name. A real one," she said with a soft laugh and then she grew serious again, looking down slightly. "Since I kind of had a thought for a girl…" Again, she let that thought trail off.

Sam smirked. "Yeah, I had an idea for a girl too," he added thoughtfully. But would the name serve as a constant reminder of all the bad that had happened or as a token of the lives they had saved?

Jules straightened up slightly. "Really?" she asked, wondering if her own idea would be thrown down the drain in case he preferred his. Thinking of it, she wasn't so sure he'd like it, maybe it was just a stupid thought after all.

"Jules," Sam said knowingly. "What's yours?" he asked softly. "Come on, don't change your mind on me," he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Again, a soft laugh escaped her lips. She closed her eyes when he kissed her forehead and took a breath before opening them back and looking up at her husband. "Remember that little girl at the hospital the day of the bombings?" she started, hoping he would fill in the blanks.

"Sure, I'll always remember her," Sam replied simply. Yes, he clung onto that memory as if it was like a buoyancy aid that kept him afloat in the chaotic memories of that horrendous day - it served as a glimmer of hope for each and every one of them.

"I can't get her out of my mind." Jules continued. "She was so strong yet so fragile, she's the example of the very thing that kept me going that day, that still keeps me going." She sighed loudly. "I'd love for our child to mean so much."

"You know what?" Sam replied softly - the emotion at once springing to his eyes which he blinked away and he wiped at his eyes for a moment. Like all of them they rarely spoke of that day unless they wanted to do what Sam had just done. Dropping his hand he sought out Jules' eyes. "I agree, Nothing else would mean more to me than the strength of a little child helping us remember just what good came from it," his voice wavered.

Looking up at Sam, Jules realized he was getting emotional and tears sprang into her own eyes. She grabbed his cheeks and planted a soft kiss on his lips and then pulled back, smiling through the tears. "It's settled, then," she said, her smile growing bigger.

"Of course," Sam said returning the kiss and hugging her to him. They didn't even need to speak her name to make it sound official. If they had a girl, she would become Sadie.

* * *

Greg was lying on the bed in a small single occupancy ICU room, he only had a heart monitor attached to him, a stark difference to the many machines surrounding him a few weeks ago. He also had a non-rebreather around his nose to assist him with his breathing as his lung was still healing. Both bullet wounds had been repaired and his chest tube had been taken out once his lung had fully inflated and was staying inflated on its own.

Cards, flowers and gifts lined the windowsill and a bedside table stood beside his bed. In the far corner was a wheelchair and some crutches.

Greg stared up at the ceiling as he laid, the head of the bed had been raised a little to put him in a position where he could see everything properly while still resting. His bedsheet was around his waist and the top of his right hand had an IV needle for the morphine injections.

Eddie knocked on the door and without waiting for an answer, he opened it and peaked his head inside his friend's hospital room.

Greg almost jumped when the tap at the door sounded but seeing who it was he forced a smile for his friend.

"Hey buddy," Ed said with a smile before stepping inside. He'd been visiting Greg every other day or so, whenever he had some free time. He knew Greg probably needed as much support as he could, spending all day alone in a bed was bound to be boring especially for a man who'd always been so dedicated in his work. He knew the rest of the team also came to visit him often, they were all really concerned but also completely relieved that he was getting much better. "Bad time?"

"No, come on in," Greg said, beckoning Eddie to enter. "Never a bad time," he assured. He had enjoyed the constant visitors, the doctors had said it would be good for his recovery.

Even when he felt tired he still wanted visitors, he hated being alone in his thoughts and with Dean and Marina both busy with school and work respectively, he was alone most of the day.

Ed walked closer to the man's bed and took the chair next to it. He hated to stand up next to his friend, it made him feel like he had a height advantage, as if he looked down at his Sergeant. He preferred sitting down, being on the same eye level, equal to equal. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Greg watched Eddie for a moment, his left hand instinctively went to touch the injury once the thought entered his mind. "Doing better," Greg said and shrugged slightly, the motion causing him to wince. After three weeks Greg was frustrated at the pain but he figured it would eventually improve.

Eddie nodded softly. "Good," he said before growing silent for a moment. Memories of that day flashed through his mind. They had been so close to losing him, it was great to see him in a much better shape now. "How's the physical therapy going?" he asked, knowing full well Greg had refused it completely.

Greg regarded Eddie, his body language telling him that he already knew the answer. "I've been doing breathing therapy," he said, avoiding the other question at first then sighing, he looked away. "I can't do it, Eddie," he said softly. Like Eddie, the memories flashed through his mind.

"Why not?" Ed asked, completely ignoring the breathing therapy bit. He needed to get some sense into his friend. If he was going to walk again someday, he needed to try and stand up at least, or his legs would completely lose their mobility.

Greg gulped, he didn't know if he wanted to talk about it. "I..." A beat and Greg forced himself to meet Eddie's gaze with fear in his eyes. Tears sprang up and he wiped at them, trying to hide it. "What happens Eddie? What I do I go back to?"

At Greg's expression, Ed hesitated to continue. He didn't fail to see him wipe a tear that formed in his eyes and he suddenly regretted asking, but he knew he had to shake him up some. "You sure as hell won't go back to anything by laying in bed all day," he said, his voice low, trying not to be accusing but his voice stern to make him see how important it was.

Greg shot him a look and shook his head before looking back out the window. "Every time I close my eyes, I see Faber holding that gun at me ready to fire." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "All I could think about was you, the team, Dean, Marina..." a moment. "I tried physical therapy." Greg hesitated again as if he was embarrassed at what he was about to reveal. "I fell, and someone dropped something." Greg closed his eyes and lowered his gaze.

Listening to him, Ed realized what he was going through. It was never easy to get back into real life after a crisis, especially when physical injury had occurred. But he also knew it was the only way to bring his life back to normal. "What if I did it with you?" he proposed, having someone he trusted around might actually help him.

At the thought Greg looked at him, his eyes searched Eddie's for signs of deceit and finding none he rose a brow. "Really?" he asked in a quiet whisper. "You'd do that for me?" he asked even though he knew the answer to that already.

Eddie nodded, giving the man's shoulder a friendly pat. "I'd do anything," he said with a smile.

Greg offered a weak smile. "Hows the team?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"They're good." The voice came from the door porch. Jules stepped through, Sam on her heels. She held her stomach, the small bump was starting to show through her clothes even though she remained petite. She smiled at Greg.

Sam popped up behind her, Spike in tow. "Hey boss," Spike grinned.

Ed stood from his chair when the rest of the team came in the room. He stepped back, allowing them some space next to Greg.

At the sight of his team, Greg had to fight to compose himself and gestured for them to come to him. Sam and Spike greeted him warmly then when Jules came to him, he pulled her into a warm embrace, careful of her stomach.

Jules let herself being drawn into Greg's arms, it felt good to have such a warm response from him. As she pulled away, he touched her stomach gently and smiled up at all of them so much it looked like he was going to cry. She brought her own hand on top of his.

Greg tried to fight the tears springing to his eyes again, it seemed seeing them had given him a new sort of energy. Sure he had seen a few of them over the last three weeks but not all at once like this.

Jules gave Sam a quick look. There was a silent exchange between the two of them and as he nodded, Jules looked at them all in turn, her eyes stopping on Greg. "We thought you

might like to know we're expecting a girl," she announced, barely containing her excitement.

Eddie grinned. He was thrilled for them both, it was such a joy after everything they'd gone through.

"A little treasure for you both." Greg paused for a moment. Then unable to express his next words in English, Greg spoke in his second language. Spike smiled as he looked at all three other confused faces. He exchanged a look with Greg and the latter nodded, letting him know he could translate. "May she be a blessing like you were to me," Spike said, speaking his Italian words in English.

She would later blame it on the hormones, but Jules' eyes teared up as she looked from Spike to Greg, and then to Sam. She squeezed Greg's hand and nodded, unable to form words.

Ed watched the silent exchange and smiled. Next to him was Greg's bedside table, a few bottles of pills stood on top of it. Wanting to lean back on the table to give someone else the chance to sit on the chair - namely Jules - he took the bottles and opened the drawer to put them in. As Eddie stood Sam guided Jules to sit in the empty chair. Jules shot him a look as he moved her. She hated to be treated so cautiously but she complied and sat down.

A note in the drawer attracted Eddie's attention. He picked up the paper and read it.

_You spoke into the darkness of fear, told us say no to terror and told us to look out for each other and help each other. As you and your team risked your own lives for us. Thankyou for what you all did today. _

_Anonymous._

They all looked to Eddie as he held the paper in his hand. "What's that?" Greg asked curiously.

Eddie looked over at Greg. "You haven't read this?" he asked the Sergeant, holding the piece of paper up.

Greg narrowed his eyes as if trying to remember then shaking his head he took it. As he read it, his eyes misted over and he tried to wipe the tears away. Sam then took it and read it over, Spike peaked over his shoulder and both their faces fell as they took in the words. Sam handed it to Jules cautiously as she reached for it. She fought hard to contain her emotions as she read it. She was still very sentimental when it came to that day, even weeks after the events.

Ed observed each and every one of them as they read the note. It was addressed to Greg in particular but also a note for them all, to remind them of what they did that day.

Greg ran a hand over his head and looked out the window.

"If that's not a good enough reason to stand up..." Eddie said, letting his thought trail off. It could be taken metaphorically for the whole team but it was mostly directed to Greg in relation to the conversation they'd just had.

Greg tore his eyes away from the window and stared at Eddie for a long time as he pondered his options. "Where's that wheelchair?" Greg asked finally, feeling more confident in front of people who knew him.

Spike grinned knowingly. "I guess someone better go find this guy and hug him," Spike said, referring to whoever wrote that note and Sam gave him a look. Jules simply smiled brightly.

Eddie moved over to the end of the room where some crutches and a wheelchair had been placed. He spun the chair around and rolled it close to Greg's bed, standing next to it. "Whenever you're ready, buddy."

Greg hesitated, although he could swing his legs over he couldn't yet put full pressure on his legs unaided. As if reading his mind, Sam and Spike quickly headed to the side of the bed and as Greg brought his legs over, both guys grabbed either arm and steadied him.

Eddie picked up the portable oxygen tank that was beside Greg's bed and attached it to the hook on the side of the wheelchair. Carefully he held up the tube, making sure it didn't get tangled or knocked in the motion.

Jules stood from the chair next to the hospital bed and stood a bit further back, leaving the guys some space to help Greg.

Shakily, Greg slowly stood and once he was on his feet, he started forward and slowly sat down in the wheelchair. Painkillers were kicking in, taking the edge off the pain which was a relief to Greg but he didn't want to get addicted to them.

Once he was seated, Ed placed the tube carefully over the back of the wheelchair and then grabbed his friend's shoulder and squeezed it.

A head popped inside the room. "Look who's on his feet," Wordy greeted cheerfully. Right behind him, Leah and Winnie were patiently waiting for them to come out as they had been warned by the nurses to wait outside.

At the sound of Wordy's voice, Greg smiled so wide anyone would have thought his face would fall off. As Eddie turned his wheelchair around, Greg saw the face of his old friend. "Wordy!" he greeted warmly.

It was no surprise to Spike, Sam, Ed and Jules that the rest of the team joined them as they had planned this surprise visit, but seeing Greg's reaction to it made them all smile warmly. The effect was exactly the one they'd been aiming for.

Wordy stepped inside knowing that they were all heading out anyway, he shared a look with Eddie who nodded and stepped back, allowing Wordy to take over - one last time.

"Let's go get some air," Ed said and Wordy pushed the chair toward the corridor. The others followed, all walking as a team.

It felt right. It felt natural. Team one together again. Like they had always been before.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you all for your support and your amazing reviews, we've had a blast writing for you all. _

_We really really appreciated the support and we have to say part of what drove us is knowing that you were avidly waiting for the next chapter. _

_Well good news! We're already working on something else, so if you enjoyed this, please be sure to follow our new joint account: FlashpointLifeline. _

_U: Here you will no doubt find us plotting ebil things…  
K: I have no idea what you're talking about *shifts eyes*  
U: Sure…. says the woman who blows up her characters…  
K: Shhh!  
U: Ignore her... she's insane… :P  
K: …  
U: So yeah… we look forward to writing and releasing our next story! Watch this space!  
K: Thanks again!  
U: From the most insane pair of writers in the universe… :P  
K: Who?  
U: *headdesk*_


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